I am planning on getting 1-3 tree peonies next year, and there are so many varieties it's hard to pick. But I definitely want, if I can find it, a tree peony with really crimson or blood-red flowers. I've seen ones that are a brighter red, and ones that are purplish or maroon. Can anyone recommend varieties that are crimson? It's my favorite flower color, and surprisingly hard to find.
Blood-Red Tree Peonies?
One of the problems with the color red is what is red is in the eye of the beholder. Sad truth about dark reds is that they vary widely depending on amount of shade they receive, soil conditions, the previous years moisture, and even viewing time of day.
Hephestos is a dark red which if placed so sun will shine through the petals glows a true blood red. The plant can become hugh , 6 foot or more high and wide, so you should leave room. Best coloration in this area is to plant where dappled sun reaches it during the late afternoon.
Ohh, that sounds lovely.
I have seen conflicting advice as to whether tree peonies prefer morning sun+afternoon shade, or morning shade+afternoon sun. Which would you say is best?
For me I prefer dappled or indirect sun for all tree peonies. Dark colors will drop their petals quicker is sun because the darker colors absorb heat more than lighter colors.
Morning sun-afternoon shade. Allows plant cooler conditions during heat of day. Especially good for growers in the Southern part of US.
Morning shade-afternoon sun. In areas that are colder especially if temps stay below 40's until late March. Morning sun will heat the area around the tp causing the plant to break dormancy too early. Really sad to see your tp's break bud with those late winter thaws only to see them freeze and drop the new growth. By planting using this combination during the afternoon sun the temps are gradually dropping allowing the plants to draw in the moisture that could freeze during the night. If there is early growth late freezes can expand the sap in the cells causing the cells to expand breaking the cell wall. When this happens and is severe enough the sap can not go beyond that point and you can loose the new growth and if bad enough you can loose the plant.
What I find works best for me besides trying not to plant where there is several hours of morning sun is to stand where I want to plant and look up. If you can see the sun and sunlight will not touch the area until summer that is where I plant. The direct sunlight has the yellow spectum which is needed for healthy plants so you need some but not until after the bloom as you are wanting to encourage growth for next year.
Hmm. I'm in zone 7a, in a little microclimate near the river & ocean. The garden gets sun from around 8am-4pm, but the west half gets 8am-12pm, and the east half gets 12pm-4pm. There are a lot of trees around the border, and they block early morning and late afternoon light. Based on the growth of the other plants, I'd say that I get the equivalent of a bit shy of full sun overall.
Before the trees leaf up in spring, the garden gets more sun, since it's all Norway Maples.
As for March temps, I think by early March the average high is just past 40F.
Would you say morning shade, then?
Thanks for the detail, Annette. There is also the problem of losing a tree to disease and then exposing the TP to too much sun. My next TP will have even more shade than the previous ones that already showed they don't need much direct sun to blossom. By your explanation, I should probably reserve that spot for the darkest one.